Draft regulator



June 16, 1925.

D. J. SCANLAN ET AL DRAFT REGULATOR Filed Jan. 22, 1923 Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL J. 'SCANLA'N, OF ST. LOUIS, AND JOHN JOSpKEANE, OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORSOF ONE-FIFTH T KATHRYN A. GLEARY, OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MISSOURI,

DRAFT REGULATOR.

Application filed January 22, 1923. Serial No. 614,100.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DANIEL J. SCANLAN and J OHN J. KEANE, citizens of the United States, the said DANIEL J. SGANLAN residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, and the said JOHN J. KEA E in the county of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDraft Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is automatically to control the combustion within a furnace'or the like, so that it will not, require personal human attention and so that the increase of heat will automatically close the draft and thus tend to retard vcombustion and so that the decrease of temperature resulting from, the said retardation of com bustion will automatically reopen the draft and cold-air inletand increase combustion.

This invention as designed is especially applicable to hot-air heaters, but is not confined thereto.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which like numbers of reference denotelike parts wherever they occur. I I

Figure 1,is a side elevation;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through a hot-air pipe and showing this'device located therein and with its external connections;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on a smaller scale, taken on the line 33 in Figure 2;

' Figure 4 is a detail on an enlargement scale of the regulating plate; and

Figure 5 is a side elevation on a, smaller scaleand perpendicular tothe side elevation of Figure 1. Y

The diaphragm'l is a hollow member and contains a liquid, preferably water, thatis readily expansible or contractible with the increase or decrease of heat of the adjacent atmosphere or solid bodies in contact with or in juxtaposition to the said diaphragm 1. This diaphiagm 1 is preferably made of copper or. other suitable material arranged in pleats, so that when in its contracted form its longitudinal extension is materially less than when it is distended by the expansion within it of its liquid contents. When dis tended the pleats may be almost ironed out, s t speak; but n its contracted. form the pleats lie upon each other. This alternate contraction and distention resembles an accordion.

In a system of heating by hot air the diaphragm 1 is preferably located in one of the hot-air pipes 2, and for that purpose suitable means of support must be provided, such, for instance, as the hanger 3 suitably attached at its ends 4 to the interior of the,

said pipe 2 and preferably supported by any suitable support 4.

Diaphragm 1 is held in place upon hanger 3 by lugs 5 or other suitable means.

A tubular guide 6 receives a rod 7, upon oneend of which is preferably attached a plate 8 in inner contact with or attached to some part of the diaphragm 1. By this means, when diaphragm 1 expands, plate 8 and rod 7 are pressed outward through opening ,9 in pipe 2, to the furthermost position shown in Figure 2; but when diaphragm 1 contracts gravity and spring 10 cause the lowering of rod 7 and plate 8 to the inner position. Upon the other end of rod 7 is mounted a block 11, which in Figure 2 is shown in full-line and dotted-line positions, accordingto whether the diaphragm 1 is expanded or contracted.

A pitman12 is attached at 13 to block 11 and is'pivoted at 14 to a bracket 15 preferably mounted upon the outside of pipe 2. v The other end of pitman 12 is provided with a hook or finger16, adapted to fit in any one of the holes 17 in regulation plate 18, thelower end of which is connected by the chain 20 to the draft-door 21. The

7 upper end ofregulation plate 18 is connect ed by the chain 22 to the check-draft door 23, which is pivoted at 24 to the chimneypipe 25; The chain'26 connects the checkdraft door 23 with lever 27 which is pivoted at 28 to operate a damper 29 located in coldair intake-pipe 30, which leads to the ex terior of the building.

The chain 22 is supported by rolls 31 in sible, the combined weight of the checkdraft door and the damper arm 27 being great enough to overcome friction and the weight of the draft-door.

Theoperation of the device is as follows:

hen the diaphragm 1 expands, the rod 7 is'pushed outwardly and likewise the block 11. This causes pitman 12 to rock on pivot 14, whereby the end bearing hook 16 is depressed, thus allowing plate 18 and chain 20 to descend. When the plate 18 has descended through a certain portion of its stroke, the draft-door 21 is brought to its closed position, assho'wn in Figure 5, thus cutting oil' the supply of air to the fire. In this position the check-draft door 23 and the damper 2'9 are still closed. This is important, as the check-draft door must notbe opened until the supply of air to the fire has been cut off. 7 m V X As the diaphragm continues to expand, chain 20 becomes slack, and the check-draft door 23mm the damper 29 are next, opened simultaneously by the'pul'l onthe chains 22 and'QG. This action: simultaneously checks the draft at the chimney and, also, admits cold air from outdoors throughpi'pe 30 into the: furnace. additioii-to the warmer air coming in from the basement through opening 84:. The now greater aura-elm ottemperature between the incoming cold air and the outgoing hot air causes an increased flow of hot air through the pipes 2; This is desirable, for if no col'dfoutside air is supplied when the fire is checked the hot air within the furnace 4 becomes stagiiaiit when the furnace has cooled, because of the smaller teinp'era'fture" di iference between warm incoming basement air and the slightly hotter outgoing= air. PM x (Vlien the furnace cools, the temperature decreases in the pipe 2 and this results in the contraction of the diaphragm 1. This results the lowering of rod 7 and block 11 whereby pitman 12 rocks upon pivot 14, automatically elevating hook 16 and plate 18 and closing the damper 29 and the check draft door 23, and taking the slack of chain 20. As the diaphragmcontinues to con tract, plate 18is elevated still more, whereby draft-door 21 is automaticallyopened by the rising chain 20, thus re-establishing the draft. The furnace is thus caused to give forth more heat, which eventually when needed again expands diaphragm 1 and in succession a repetition of the closing of This cold air issupplied in draft-door 21 and the opening of check-draft door 23 and damper 29.

Plate 18 contains a plurality of notches or holes 17, so as to provide for adjustability, which adjustability is useful for changes of atmospheric temperature due to the weather and such changes as may be due to age of parts and other temporary or permanent conditions.

' Having thus described this invention, we hereby reserve the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, as it is evident that many minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope'of the following claims.

\Veclaim:

1. Inf a device of the type described, the combination with a tubular structure, of a cradle-shaped structure having a leg depending from the base thereof formed in tegrally with and "extending transversely of said tubular structure, an expansible chamber removably secured within said cradle-shaped structure, a stem connected to' said chamber and extending outwardly of said tubular structure, a. lever mounted exteriorly otsaid tubular structure and'pivotally connected to said stem, and means within said chamber affected'by the change of temperature within the tubular structure for axially varying the expan'sible chamber to operate said lever. 21 In a device of the type described, the combinatibn" with a tubular structure, of a cradle-shaped structure having a leg depending from the base thereof formed integrally with and extending transversely of said tu-' bular structure, an accordion-shaped chamber removably attached to the base of said cradle-shaped structure, stem connected to said chamber and exten'ding outwardly of said tubular structure, a spring interposed between said bllblllilfStl'llCtule and a shoulder on said stein for exerting a force to compress said chamber, a lever pivotally mounted exteriorly of said tubular structure and connected to said stem, anda fluid positioned within said chamber and affected by the change or temperature within the tubular structure-for axially expanding the chamber to operate said lever.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures.

DANIEL J. SCANLAN. JOHN JOS. KEANE. 

